Ellen-Mary Kearney honored as NAIA National Runner of the Week for second time

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (October 12, 2023) – Milligan University sophomore Ellen-Mary Kearney collected NAIA National Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors for the second time this season, the association announced on Wednesday.

Kearney finished third in a field of 244 women at the Royals Cross Country Challenge last week. She ran 17:25, her fastest 5k of the season, and helped the Buffs to the meet title over 10 NCAA Division I teams, including nationally-ranked Furman, Wake Forest, Charlotte and South Carolina.

Milligan won the team title at Charlotte for the third-straight year, edging NCAA Division II No. 14 Wingate by 22 points.

Caitlin Dominy joined Kearney in the top-five with a fifth-place finish in 17:47. Zanelle Willemse record a personal best collegiate cross county 5k time of 18:17 to finish 16th. Hannah Brown notched a season best time of 18:34 to finish 28th.

Patricia Barrera recorded a nearly 40-second personal record cross country time and completed Milligan's top five with a 33rd-place finish in 18:42.

Kearney become the first Buff to receive NAIA National Cross Country Runner of the Week honors multiple times. Her older sister Emily Kearney was a multi-time award winner as an undergraduate at SCAD Atlanta.

The Buffs run at the NAIA Appalachian Challenge next week.